In this work an electrokinetic remediation cell for copper mine tailings using sinusoidal electric field in pulses was analyzed. The sinusoidal electric field was obtained by applying simultaneously continuous-alternating voltages; in this work an alternating voltage of 50 Hz was applied. The system was tested considering the effect of: (1) pulses in an EKR with sinusoidal electric field, (2) the effective voltage of the sinusoidal electric field, and (3) the pulses ratio. According to the conditions studied in this investigation, the laboratory results showed that pulses in a sinusoidal electric field improves the EKR process, especially when the pulses and a polarity inversion in the sinusoidal electric field are present simultaneously, since both phenomena reduce polarization during the process. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.