• Copper electrolytic refining is essential for high-purity copper, but arsenic impurities introduced during the process adversely affect product quality and the environment.
• The review systematically compares six arsenic removal technologies—electrowinning, adsorption, solvent extraction, ion exchange, membrane filtration, and precipitation—based on efficiency, cost, maturity, environmental friendliness, and operational simplicity.
• Electrowinning is identified as the most widely used and mature arsenic removal technique for copper electrolyte purification.
• Future trends in copper electrolyte purification are directed toward source-waste reduction, resource utilization, intelligent digitalization, and innovations in materials and processes.