a special machine the research a wants to find out how much nicotine the bots release into the environment. she's. particularly interested in what happens to the toxin when it comes into contact with water when it rains for example. the toxins from the stubs that amy greene has collected have already been washed out so she's producing her own butts three point seven centimeters long the average length of a discarded cigarette. according to e.u. regulations tobacco waste products containing more than half a mill a gram of nicotine should be categorized as dangerous. but scientists then exposes the bots that she's created to artificial rain showers the water runs over them leeching out the nicotine inside she analyzes this water the findings on average