Answer:
(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
Explanation:
Statement-I: Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of environmental pollution. This is because discarded chewing gum can create litter in public spaces, and its synthetic components can be persistent in the environment.
Statement-II: Many chewing gums contain plastic as gum base. This statement is correct because many modern chewing gums use synthetic rubber or plastic polymers as a base, such as polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate.
Since the presence of plastic in the gum base contributes to its persistence and non-biodegradability, which leads to environmental pollution, Statement-II explains why Statement-I is true.
Therefore, both statements are correct, and Statement-II explains Statement-I, making option (a) the correct answer.