<p>The efficiency of adsorption of Sparfloxacin (SPX) onto the surface of synthesized polyaniline coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄@PANI) was studied from aqueous solution under varying experimental conditions. The magnetic nanocomposite was prepared via in-situ oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles, followed by comprehensive characterization using techniques such as FTIR, XRD, EDX and SEM. A validated spectrophotometric assay was developed for monitoring of SPX drug. The maximum adsorption (%) was obtained at pH = 7.0 for a contact time of 30&#xa0;min with 0.25&#xa0;g of Fe₃O₄@PANI. Equilibrium isotherm data were fitted to Freundlich and Langmuir equations, and the later model showed the best fit with Qₒ = 371.19 mgg^− 1. Furthermore, pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were used to analyze adsorption kinetics, and it was found that adsorption of the investigated SPX drug followed pseudo-second-order kinetics with R² ≈ 1. Thermodynamic parameters suggested that the adsorption was spontaneous and exothermic. The high adsorption capacity and excellent analytical eco-scale score (AES) of Fe₃O₄@PANI highlight the potential of synthesized Fe₃O₄@PANI as an efficient adsorbent for Sparfloxacin from aqueous solutions.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>