In which of the following steps of hydrological cycle water is purified?

Water is purified during evaporation, when it rises as vapour and leaves salts and impurities behind.

Condensation turns vapour back to droplets but does not itself remove impurities.

Precipitation returns water to the ground and can pick up pollutants on the way down.

Transpiration releases water vapour from plants and is a form of evaporation, not a separate purifying step here.

Evaporation leaves dissolved solids and contaminants behind, so the rising vapour is nearly pure.

This natural distillation is why rainwater begins clean before mixing with air pollutants.