A mathematical model is developed and implemented to characterize the pickup of various liquid chemical contaminants by
polyethylene-coated magnetic particles. The model and its associated experimental and analytical protocols were applied to a wide range
of liquid chemicals in order to gain insights into the physical basis for the pickup phenomenon. The characteristics of the pickup isotherms
range between “ideal” and “nonideal” behaviors that are reflected in the mathematical model by a single parameter, �0, where �0=1
corresponds to ideal behavior and �0�1 corresponds to a departure from idealized behavior that is directly quantified by the magnitude
of �0. The parameter �0 is also related to the efficiency of pickup, and since most isotherms observed in the study deviate from ideality,
the high efficiency of pickup observed in these systems has been attributed in part to this deviation. The proposed model and its associated
experimental and analytical protocols demonstrate great potential for the systematic evaluation of the uptake of chemical contaminants
using magnetic particle technology.