**Abstract**

Although mining has over the centuries improved the livelihoods and economies of many countries, the results have not spared the environment's luxurious legacy. Acid mine drainage contaminated sites with heavy metals that affect negatively and positively the macrophytes plants that grow on those sites. Accumulated elements by macrophytes planted on artificial wetlands portray the relative bioconcentration and translocation factors. Various elements were measured in the sediment, water, and macrophytes from the sampled sites and the results indicate that concentrations accumulated by plants play a significant role in biological and chemical processes in soil-water-plant relations. When comparing the drinking water quality standards by international organizations that were used as a guideline for the comparisons of elements concentration levels of elements found in water, Iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), Manganese (Mn), and Copper (Cu) were found to be above the international water quality standards for drinking water and their average concentrations were 2230, 282, 5950, and 14,080 μg/l respectively. The sequence of elements accumulation by the macrophytes differed per plant and each of the three macrophytes plants was a hyperaccumulator of a certain element.

**Keywords:** macrophytes, acid mine drainage, phytoremediation, artificial wetlands, elements
