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Soils from the alluvial flats of the Turia River, Valencia, Spain, which were highly contaminated by decades of industrial activity, were surveyed for native plant species that could be candidates useful in phytoremediation. Concentrations of heavy metals and arsenic (As) in soils reached 25,000 mg Kg-1 Pb, 12,000 mg Kg-1 Zn, 70 mg Kg-1 Cd, and 13500 mg Kg-1 As. The predominant vegetation was collected and species identified. Soil samples and the corresponding plant shoots were analyzed to determine the amount of As accumulated by the various plant species. Several were able to tolerate more than 1000 mg Kg-1 As in the soil. Bassia scoparia (Chenopodiaceae) survive in soil with 8375 mg Kg-1 As. Arsenic accumulation in shoots of the various plant species investigated ranged from 0.1 to 107 mg Kg-1 dw. Bassia scoparia (Chenopodiaceae), Inula viscosa (Asteraceae), Solanum nigrum (Solanaceae), and Hirschfeldia incana (Brassicaceae) had the highest values for As accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]