{"id":2826,"date":"2026-04-22T19:21:04","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:51:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/?p=2826"},"modified":"2026-04-22T19:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T13:51:07","slug":"consider-the-following-statements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/upsc\/prelims\/consider-the-following-statements","title":{"rendered":"Consider the following statements:\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Statement I:&nbsp;<\/strong>Activated carbon is a good and attractive tool to remove pollutants from effluent streams and to remediate contaminants from various industries.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Statement II:<\/strong>&nbsp;Activated carbon exhibits a large surface area and a strong potential for adsorbing heavy metals.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Statement III:<\/strong>&nbsp;Activated carbon can be easily synthesized from environmental wastes with high carbon content.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list mcq\">\n<li>Both Statement II and Statement III are correct, and both of them explain Statement I\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Both Statement II and Statement III are correct but only one of them explains Statement I\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only one of the Statements II and III is correct and that explains Statement I\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Neither Statement II nor Statement III is correct\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Answer: (a) Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"activated-carbon\">Activated Carbon<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Activated carbon (or activated charcoal) is\u00a0a\u00a0<strong>highly porous material processed from carbonaceous sources like coconut shells or coal, featuring an immense internal surface area designed to trap impurities<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\u00a0<strong>works via<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>adsorption, attracting and holding contaminants<\/strong>, VOCs, and heavy metals from air, water, and liquids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Activated carbon is a highly versatile material used primarily for its\u00a0<strong>adsorption\u00a0capabilities, which allow it to trap toxins, chemicals, and impurities<\/strong>\u00a0within its massive network of microscopic pores. Its applications span from life-saving medical treatments to everyday household products.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Key uses<\/strong>\u00a0include drinking water filtration, air purification, industrial emissions control, and medical treatments for poisoning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Activated carbon is widely recognised for its effectiveness in\u00a0<strong>environmental applications, particularly in the treatment of industrial effluents and polluted water or air.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It functions primarily through adsorption, a process in which contaminants adhere to the surface of the carbon material.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Due to its high efficiency in removing a wide range of pollutants\u2014including dyes, organic compounds, and heavy metals\u2014activated carbon is extensively used in sectors such as chemical manufacturing, textiles, food processing, and water treatment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One of the most important physical properties of activated carbon is its extremely large surface area<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This large surface area is due to its highly porous structure. This\u00a0<strong>large surface area provides numerous active sites for adsorption.<\/strong>\u00a0This makes it especially useful in removing toxic metals from industrial effluents and contaminated water sources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Activated carbon can be produced from a wide range of carbon-rich waste materials<\/strong>, including\u00a0<strong>agricultural by-products<\/strong>\u00a0like coconut shells, rice husks, sawdust, sugarcane bagasse, and nutshells.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These materials are subjected to carbonization and activation processes to create the porous structure necessary for adsorption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This\u00a0<strong>ease of synthesis from waste makes activated carbon accessible and attractive,<\/strong>\u00a0especially in developing countries and for large-scale industrial applications<strong>.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Activated-carbon.webp\" alt=\"Activated Carbon\" class=\"wp-image-53555\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"uses-of-activated-carbon\">Uses of Activated Carbon<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Environmental &amp; Household Purification<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Water Filtration:<\/strong>\u00a0It is the core component of home water filters, removing chlorine, bad tastes, odors, and organic pollutants from tap water.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Air Cleaning:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in air purifiers and gas masks to capture volatile organic compounds (VOCs), smoke, and hazardous fumes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Aquariums:<\/strong>\u00a0It helps keep fish tank water crystal clear by absorbing fish waste and leftover medications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Medical &amp; Health<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Emergency Poisoning:<\/strong>\u00a0In hospitals, it is administered to treat drug overdoses or accidental poisoning. It binds to toxins in the stomach to prevent them from entering the bloodstream.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digestive Relief:<\/strong>\u00a0Some people use it in capsule form to reduce bloating and intestinal gas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Wound Care:<\/strong>\u00a0Specialized carbon dressings are used to absorb odors and bacteria from infected wounds.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Industrial Processes<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Food and Beverage:<\/strong>\u00a0It is used to decolorize sugar, decaffeinate coffee, and purify alcoholic spirits like vodka and whiskey to ensure a clean taste.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mining:<\/strong>\u00a0It plays a critical role in gold recovery, where it is used to \u201csoak up\u201d gold from cyanide solutions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automotive:<\/strong>\u00a0Carbon canisters in cars trap gasoline vapors before they can escape into the atmosphere.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Beauty &amp; Personal Care<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Skincare:<\/strong>\u00a0Often added to face masks and cleansers to pull dirt, oil, and toxins out of pores.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Oral Hygiene:<\/strong>\u00a0Used in whitening toothpastes to lift surface stains from teeth and neutralize bad breath.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-it-is-produced\">How It is Produced<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Activated carbon is\u00a0<strong>manufactured from carbon-rich materials<\/strong>\u00a0such as\u00a0<strong>coconut shells, wood, coal, or peat.<\/strong>\u00a0The material undergoes\u00a0<strong>two main stages:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Carbonisation<\/strong>: The raw material is heated to high temperatures (400\u2013600\u00b0C) in an environment without oxygen to drive off volatile components.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Activation<\/strong>: The resulting \u201cchar\u201d is then exposed to an activating agent\u2014either high-temperature steam (physical activation) or chemicals like phosphoric acid (chemical activation) \u2014 to create millions of microscopic pores.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"forms-of-activated-carbon\">Forms of Activated Carbon<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Granular (GAC)<\/strong>: Coarse particles (0.2\u20135 mm) used primarily for continuous flow water and gas treatment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Powdered (PAC)<\/strong>: Very fine particles (&lt;0.1 mm) often added directly to liquid processes for rapid adsorption and then filtered out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Extruded\/Pelletized (EAC)<\/strong>: Cylindrical pellets designed for gas-phase applications due to their low-pressure drop and high strength.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impregnated<\/strong>: Carbon infused with specific chemicals (like silver or iodine) to target specific pollutants like mercury or bacteria.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Safety and Limitations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While generally safe, activated carbon is\u00a0<strong>not effective<\/strong>\u00a0against all substances.\u00a0<strong>It does not bind well to alcohol, metals (like iron or lithium), electrolytes, or corrosive chemicals like acids and bases.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Statement I:&nbsp;Activated carbon is a good and attractive tool to remove pollutants from effluent streams and to remediate contaminants from various industries.&nbsp;&nbsp; Statement II:&nbsp;Activated carbon exhibits a large surface area and a strong potential for adsorbing heavy metals.&nbsp;&nbsp; Statement III:&nbsp;Activated carbon can be easily synthesized from environmental wastes with high carbon content.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Which one of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1],"tags":[36],"years":[63],"class_list":["post-2826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-prelims","category-upsc","tag-environment","years-63"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":3,"label":"Prelims"},{"value":1,"label":"UPSC"}],"post_tag":[{"value":36,"label":"Environment"}],"years":[{"value":63,"label":"2025"}]},"featured_image_src_large":false,"author_info":{"display_name":"LotusArise","author_link":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/author\/team-lotusarise"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":3,"name":"Prelims","slug":"prelims","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":1,"count":1251,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":3,"category_count":1251,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Prelims","category_nicename":"prelims","category_parent":1},{"term_id":1,"name":"UPSC","slug":"upsc","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":1269,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1,"category_count":1269,"category_description":"","cat_name":"UPSC","category_nicename":"upsc","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":36,"name":"Environment","slug":"environment","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":36,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":193,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2826","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2826"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2826\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2826"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2826"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2826"},{"taxonomy":"years","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lotusarise.com\/qna\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/years?post=2826"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}