Khan Hamad, Findlay Callum, Stevenson Ruth-Ann, Singh T
Otolaryngology, Walsall Manor Hospital, Walsall, GBR.
Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Southampton General Hospital, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, GBR.
Cureus. 2025 Mar 30;17(3):e81471. doi: 10.7759/cureus.81471. eCollection 2025 Mar.
Objective This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of Android applications (apps) in measuring environmental noise levels, focusing on their potential use for occupational health assessments. Methods The top 10, highly rated, free Android apps were tested on a Samsung Galaxy A54 Smartphone (Samsung Group, Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea) using pure tones at 100 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 4000 Hz, across four noise levels (25 dB, 40 dB, and 85 dB). Measurements were compared with a calibrated Precision Gold N09AQ environment meter (Maplin Electronics Ltd, Wath-Upon-Dearne, United Kingdom) in a controlled room. Data were analyzed using linear regression to determine R values for each app. Results The control meter showed the highest accuracy (R = 0.99). SPL Meter dB and sound Meter (KTW apps, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia) and Sound Meter (Pony AI Inc.,Guangzhou, Guangdong, China) had the best performance (R = 0.98). Accuracy declined at higher noise levels, with Sound Meter (ABC Apps) showing the least accuracy (R = 0.85). User ratings did not correlate consistently with app performance. Conclusion Android apps offer potential as affordable noise measurement tools, with some apps demonstrating high accuracy at lower decibels. However, limitations such as reduced accuracy at higher decibels and lack of A-weighting for regulatory compliance hinder their use in professional settings. Further development and real-world testing are needed.
目的 本研究旨在评估安卓应用程序在测量环境噪声水平方面的准确性，重点关注其在职业健康评估中的潜在用途。方法 在一部三星Galaxy A54智能手机（三星集团，韩国首尔三星镇）上，使用100赫兹、2000赫兹和4000赫兹的纯音，在四种噪声水平（25分贝、40分贝和85分贝）下对排名前十的高评分免费安卓应用程序进行测试。在一个受控房间内，将测量结果与一台经过校准的Precision Gold N09AQ环境噪声计（英国迪尔恩河畔沃思的Maplin Electronics Ltd公司）进行比较。使用线性回归分析数据，以确定每个应用程序的R值。结果 对照噪声计显示出最高的准确性（R = 0.99）。声压级计dB和声级计（马来西亚雪兰莪州八打灵再也的KTW应用程序）以及声级计（中国广东广州的小马智行公司）表现最佳（R = 0.98）。在较高噪声水平下准确性下降，其中声级计（ABC应用程序）的准确性最低（R = 0.85）。用户评分与应用程序性能并非始终相关。结论 安卓应用程序作为经济实惠的噪声测量工具具有潜力，一些应用程序在较低分贝时显示出高精度。然而，诸如在较高分贝时准确性降低以及缺乏符合法规要求的A加权等限制因素阻碍了它们在专业环境中的使用。需要进一步开发和进行实际测试。
