Charcoal is an odorless, tasteless, fine black powder, or black porous solid consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal has been used since the earliest times for a range of purposes, including art, medicine, and fuel. It is a gastrointestinal decontaminant and is used to treat people who have ingested dangerous substances. Charcoal is neither absorbed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract nor metabolized. Due to its large surface area, it absorbs chemicals in the stomach and digestive tract, trapping them and carrying them out of the body without allowing them to be absorbed into the blood. Acute exposure to charcoal is irritating to the skin, the eyes, and the GI and respiratory tracts. Toxicity is due to irritation of cornea and from irritation of the mucous membranes and the lungs, the most serious adverse effects of exposure to charcoal in humans.