- Author
- Leasure, W. A., Jr. | Fisher, R. L. | Cadoff, M. A.
- Title
- Evaluation of Commercial Integrating-Type Noise Exposure Meters.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
- Sponsor
- Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
- Report
- NBSIR 73-417; EPA-500/9-73-007, December 1973, 34 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- noise exposure | acoustics (sound) | dosimeter | environmental acoustics | instrumentation | noise exposure meters
- Abstract
- As a result of the promulgation of occupational noise exposure regulations by the Federal government, there are a number of commercial noise exposure meters on the market today that provide a measure of noise integrated (with appropriate weighting) over a time interval. This report presents the results of an evaluation of such insruments by the National Bureau of Standards (under the sponsorship of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) as to their usefulness in monitoring compliance with occupational noise regulations as well as their applicability as instruments for use in achieving the broader goals of the EPA. Tests were designed and conducted to evaluate microphone and system response to sound of random incidence, frequency response, crest factor capability, acuracy of the exchange rate circuitry, performance of the noise exposure meter as a function of temperature, and the dependence of the device on battery voltage. The rationale of the test procedures utilized to evaluate overall system as well as specific performance attributes, details of the measurement techniques, and results obtained are discussed.