Noise metering via mobile phones: limitations, opportunities and findings in a workplace testing

The use of sound measurement smartphone applications has been suggested to achieve extended environmental monitoring with low costs. One of these applications, developed by a local environmental authority, has been tested comparing the results obtained with a professional analyzer in three workplace environments with three different smartphone models. Limited dynamic and spectral range, no peak detector and calibration problems pose insuperable limitations to the use of smartphone applications in workplace risk assessment. However could anyway be designed a reliable low cost system useful in warning the worker to wear personal protective equipment when required. The opportunity to test the application under high sound level and low frequency spectral components, has shown some features of the application that suggest some doubt even in the use in environmental assessment.