Correct Option
Both Statement II and Statement III are correct, and both provide valid explanations for Statement I.
Statement I asserts that activated carbon is an effective and attractive tool for pollutant removal and remediation. This broad utility is comprehensively explained by its inherent properties and its method of production.
Statement II is correct because activated carbon is characterized by a highly porous structure, which results in an exceptionally large surface area. This property, combined with its specific surface chemistry, provides a strong potential for adsorbing various contaminants, including heavy metals, organic pollutants, and dyes. This directly explains why it is a "good tool" for pollutant removal.
Statement III is correct because activated carbon can be readily synthesized from a wide range of carbon-rich waste materials, such as agricultural residues (e.g., coconut shells, rice husks), sawdust, lignocellulosic biomass, and even coal. The ease and low cost of producing activated carbon from abundant environmental wastes enhance its "attractiveness" as a sustainable and economically viable option for large-scale industrial and environmental applications.
Therefore, both the intrinsic adsorptive capabilities (Statement II) and the sustainable, cost-effective synthesis (Statement III) collectively explain why activated carbon is considered a good and attractive tool for environmental remediation.
Incorrect Options
Options 2 and 3 are incorrect because they wrongly suggest that only one of the statements (II or III) explains Statement I. Both statements offer distinct yet complementary reasons that contribute to activated carbon's effectiveness and attractiveness in pollutant removal.
Option 4 is incorrect because both Statement II and Statement III are factually accurate descriptions of activated carbon's properties and synthesis methods, which are well-established in environmental science and engineering.