Europium radionuclides in samarium-153-Ethylene Diamine Tetramethylene phosphonic acid (153Sm-EDTMP) radiopharmaceutical waste

153Sm-EDTMP is widely used as a palliative radiopharmaceutical for treatment of metastatic bone pain. It is produced by neutron activation of enriched 152Sm targets in a nuclear reactor. The long-lived europium radionuclides are co-produced along with production of 153Sm and it give rise to radioactive waste in 153Sm-EDTMP production. The gamma radiation dose rate was found significant on the radioactive waste generated during the production of 153Sm-EDTMP. Residual activity in six waste samples generated in different batches of 153Sm-EDTMP production were analysed for percentage contributions of 152,154,155Eu using gamma-ray spectrometry. 154Eu was a major contributor with around 62%, and the other radioisotopes, viz. 152Eu &155Eu contribution were ∼29% & ∼9% respectively. The activity concentration of these long-lived europium radionuclides in samarium radiopharmaceutical production waste may be utilised for the dose rate estimation, and vice versa.