<p>Cyanide is widely used in the gold mining industry to extract gold from low grade ores, resulting in wastewater containing high levels of cyanide and metals. This study explored the electrochemical destruction of cyanide and the concurrent removal of metals using a graphite anode and copper cathode under alkaline conditions in both synthetic and real gold process wastewater. The wastewater samples varied in cyanide concentration, total dissolved solids, and copper content to assess the effect of water quality on cyanide degradation. Both types of wastewaters showed increased cyanide degradation rates at higher conductivity; however, the degradation rates in real wastewater were two orders of magnitude less than those observed in synthetic wastewater with higher salinities. Notably, higher applied voltage decreased copper removal in the synthetic wastewater while enhancing copper removal in the real process wastewater. Although metal removal was greater in the real process wastewater experiments compared to synthetic wastewater, the extended duration of the real wastewater experiments complicates direct comparison. Overall, electrochemical treatment of gold cyanidation wastewater was effective for cyanide degradation with simultaneous metal removal. To optimize the treatment of real gold cyanidation process wastewater, further research is essential to identify the best operational conditions based on its composition.</p>