Bamboo charcoal is mainly used as fuel for cooking and drying tea in China and Japan.[citation needed] Most bamboo charcoal for fuel is bamboo briquette charcoal, and the rest is raw bamboo charcoal.[citation needed] As with any charcoal, bamboo charcoal can be used to purify water and eliminate organic impurities and smells.[citation needed] Drinking water sterilized with chlorine can be treated with bamboo charcoal to remove residual chlorine and chlorides.[citation needed] Thomas Edison's original light bulb had a carbonized bamboo filament.

　　Bamboo vinegar, or pyroligneous acid, is extracted when making charcoal and is used for hundreds of treatments in almost all fields. This liquid contains 400 different chemical compounds and can be applied for many purposes including cosmetics, insecticides, deodorants, food processing, and agriculture.

　　There is some evidence that adding bamboo charcoal or bamboo vinegar to the diets of fish or poultry may increase their growth rates.