Beijing ? Chinese scientists say they have found a way for the countless cigarette butts that are tossed every day on streets, beaches and other public places to be reused — in protecting steel pipes from rusting.

The remnants of used cigarettes, among the world’s most common form of trash, leak chemicals that have been shown to kill fish and damage the environment. The problem could be alleviated if new uses are found for the cigarette butts.

“When people walk on the streets, they usually see cigarette butts scattered everywhere, on the ground or the grass,” said Jun Zhao, a Ph.D. student at the Xi’an Jiaotong University, by telephone. “I felt it was quite significant to do a project related to environmental protection.”

Zhao and other researchers in northwest China said today they have found that cigarette butts soaked in water can help guard against corrosion in a type of steel commonly used in the oil industry.