Method for Absorbing substances wherein adsorbent particles comprising superparamagnetic and/or low Curie Temperature transition metal-containing cores surrounded by a hydrous siliceous oxide coating can be formed by an aqueous process wherein the core is precipitated from an aqueous solution and a siliceous oxide coating is deposited thereon while complete drying of the core is avoided until after the siliceous oxide is deposited. The resulting siliceous adsorbents exhibit strong superparamagnetic and/or low Curie temperature magnetic properties with low transition metal leachability.