Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of environmental pollution.

Statement-II: Many chewing gums contain plastic as gum base.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Correct Option: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II correctly explains Statement-I. Many commercial chewing gums use synthetic polymers (elastomers/plastics like polyvinyl acetate and polyisobutylene) as their gum base, which are non-biodegradable and persist as environmental litter.