UPSC CSE 2025 · PYQ · Environment / Pollution Control · medium
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?
A.Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I
B.Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I✓ Correct
C.Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I
D.Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct
Explanation
Statement I says activated carbon is a good tool for pollution remediation. Statement II (large surface area and adsorption capacity for heavy metals) directly explains why activated carbon works as a pollutant remover — this explains Statement I. Statement III (activated carbon can be synthesized from carbon-rich waste) is also factually correct (it is made from coconut shells, wood, biomass etc.), but this addresses availability/economy, not the mechanism by which it removes pollutants — so it does not explain Statement I. Hence both II and III are correct, but only one of them (II) explains Statement I.
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