Activated charcoal is effective in removing which of the following heavy metals from the body?

Activated charcoal is a highly porous substance that is effective in adsorbing certain toxins and chemicals in the gastrointestinal tract, preventing their absorption into the body. However, when it comes to heavy metals, activated charcoal does not effectively adsorb these substances.

Lead, cadmium, and mercury are heavy metals that can cause significant toxic effects, and the mechanisms by which they interact with the body differ from those of many other toxic substances that activated charcoal can adsorb effectively. Heavy metals tend to form stable complexes that are not readily adsorbed by activated charcoal.

Consequently, while activated charcoal is beneficial for managing certain types of poisoning, particularly from organic compounds and some drugs, it is not useful for the removal of heavy metals from the body. Effective treatment for heavy metal poisoning often involves other interventions, such as chelation therapy, which specifically targets the heavy metals and facilitates their excretion from the body. Thus, the conclusion that activated charcoal does not effectively remove lead, cadmium, or mercury is accurate, which leads to the answer that none of the options provided is correct.