Assessing the Efficacy of Sound Level Meter Mobile Apps with Reference Sound Level Meter to Screen Environmental Noise Pollution

Environmental noise pollution has become a growing concern in urban areas due to its adverse effects on human health and well-being. The advent of mobile applications that claim to measure sound levels has made it easier for individuals to assess noise pollution in their surroundings. However, the accuracy and reliability of these mobile apps in comparison to reference sound level meters are not well-documented. This research study aims to assess the efficacy of sound level meter mobile apps concerning their ability to screen environmental noise pollution when compared to a calibrated reference sound level meter. The clinical testing was completed to short list the apps by critical tests, such as measuring pure tones from speakers in different intensities (20, 50, 90, 100 and 120 dB); octave frequencies (250-8000 Hz) and 2 different distances alongwith reference sound level meter. Further the apps were assessed at 6 locations of Chennai in 2 different time zones (peak time), in the morning and evening. Minimum and maximum intensities were measured to test precision of applications in environmental noise. Repeated measures of ANOVA revealed significant results among SLM android and IOS readings. Kruskal Wallis test revealed significant results for evening readings (5-6 pm: H=2, P=0.001; 6-7 pm: H=2, P=0.002) across SLM android and IOS. This shows that 3 measurements significantly differ from each other in environmental noise screening. Mann Whitney test revealed insignificant results between the readings of IOS and android, which shows that android and IOS measures noise levels with some similarity to SLM; therefore, these apps can be used as a screening tool to measure and monitor environmental noise.