Method and apparatus for measuring the radioactive content of materials

A method of testing an earth sample utilizing a radioisotope identifier kit comprising a radiation detector, a controller connected to the radiation detector through an electric cable, a shield comprising an outer wall, a cavity, and an opening into the cavity, and a computing device for deriving a level of radiation emission activity, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

• placing the radiation detector within the cavity of the shield, wherein the shield further comprises a pass-through aperture for the electric cable between the radiation detector and the controller;
• obtaining at least one earth sample and placing the at least one earth sample within a beaker which is placed on the radiation detector within the cavity of the shield;
• detecting one or more counts of decay from the at least one earth sample at at least one level of radiation decay energy from among a plurality of possible levels of radiation decay energy associated with decay daughters of at least one of Radium 226 and 228 through use of the radiation detector and the controller;
• recording data related to the counts of decay within a collector associated with the controller;
• storing the counts of decay on a first memory device;
• communicating data stored on the first memory device to the computing device, wherein the computing device utilizes instructions stored on a second memory device to derive a level of radiation emission activity;
• deriving the level of radiation emission activity of the at least one earth sample based on the one or more counts of decay detected in said detecting step through use of the computing device, wherein said deriving step includes the step of determining the level of radiation emission activity of the at least one earth sample with units of radioactivity per quantity of mass;
• and,
• completing said detecting and deriving steps at the site from which the at least one earth sample is obtained during said obtaining step.