Healthy Growing Lettuce (IMAGE) Rice University Caption Lettuce growing in once oil-contaminated soil revived by a process developed by Rice University engineers. The Rice team determined that pyrolyzing oil-soaked soil for 15 minutes at 420 degrees Celsius is sufficient to eliminate contaminants while preserving the soil's fertility. The lettuce plants shown here, in treated and fertilized soil, showed robust growth over 14 days. Credit Wen Song/Rice University Usage Restrictions Credit must be used. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.