Consider the following statements: [Ecology]

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?

The correct option is: Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I.

Let us analyze each statement step-by-step to understand their validity and relationship:

Analysis of Statement I:
Statement I states that activated carbon is a good and attractive tool to remove pollutants from effluent streams and to remediate contaminants from various industries. This statement is correct. Activated carbon is widely recognized globally as one of the most effective and popular adsorbents for purifying wastewater, treating industrial effluents, and removing organic and inorganic contaminants.

Analysis of Statement II:
Statement II states that activated carbon exhibits a large surface area and a strong potential for adsorbing heavy metals. This statement is correct. The activation process (thermal or chemical) generates an intricate network of microscopic pores, giving activated carbon an exceptionally high specific surface area (typically ranging from 500 to 1500 m²/g). This massive surface area offers abundant active sites where heavy metals and other pollutants can be adsorbed. Because this explains the physical mechanism behind the pollutant-removal capacity of activated carbon, Statement II directly explains why it is a "good tool" as mentioned in Statement I.

Analysis of Statement III:
Statement III states that activated carbon can be easily synthesized from environmental wastes with high carbon content. This statement is also correct. Carbonaceous agricultural and industrial waste materials—such as coconut shells, rice husks, wood scraps, sawdust, and sugarcane bagasse—are commonly used as precursors to synthesize activated carbon. Converting these abundant waste products into valuable adsorbents makes activated carbon highly cost-effective, sustainable, and eco-friendly. This availability and ease of synthesis explain why activated carbon is an "attractive tool" for large-scale industrial remediation as mentioned in Statement I.

Therefore, both Statement II and Statement III are correct, and both provide logical explanations for Statement I (Statement II explains the functional efficacy of the tool, while Statement III explains its economic and environmental attractiveness).