Consider the following statements : Statement I: Activated carbon is a good and an attractive tool to remove pollutants from effluent streams and to remediate contaminants from various industries. Statement II: Activated carbon exhibits a large surface area and a strong potential for adsorbing heavy metals. Statement III : Activated carbon can be easily synthesized from environmental wastes with high carbon content. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation:
Statement I is correct: Activated carbon is widely recognized and used for its effectiveness in removing pollutants. Statement II is correct: Activated carbon possesses a highly porous structure, resulting in a very large surface area, which is crucial for its strong adsorption capacity, including for heavy metals. This directly explains *why* it is a good tool for pollutant removal (Statement I). Statement III is correct: Activated carbon can indeed be produced from various carbon-rich waste materials, making it an environmentally attractive and sustainable option. This explains *why* it is an 'attractive tool' (part of Statement I) from a resource and sustainability perspective, but not the primary mechanism of pollutant removal. Therefore, both Statement II and Statement III are correct, but only Statement II primarily explains the mechanism of pollutant removal mentioned in Statement I.