Development and implementation of EcoDecibel: A low-cost and IoT-based device for noise measurement

Background: Noise pollution is a growing concern for public health and the environment. Traditional noise monitoring methods often have limitations due to short-term measurements and high costs. Objective: This study aims to develop and validate EcoDecibel, a low-cost, IoT-based sensor system for co...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ling-Jyh Chen, Sakshi Saraswat, Fu-Shiang Ching, Chih-Yi Su, Hsin-Lan Huang, Wen-Chi Pan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Ecological Informatics
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124005107
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Summary:Background: Noise pollution is a growing concern for public health and the environment. Traditional noise monitoring methods often have limitations due to short-term measurements and high costs. Objective: This study aims to develop and validate EcoDecibel, a low-cost, IoT-based sensor system for continuous noise monitoring, addressing the gaps in existing noise measurement technologies. Methods: EcoDecibel was compared with Class 1 and Class 2 sound level meters in various conditions. The system was deployed across three environmental sites in Sanzhi District, Taiwan, for one week. Time-series prediction and forecasting models (SARIMA, Prophet, LSTM) were applied to the noise data to predict and forecast noise levels. Results: EcoDecibel demonstrated strong correlation, yielding R2 values of 0.948 and 0.983 in comparison with Class 1 and Class 2 sound level meters and was able to monitor and forecast daily noise patterns effectively. The system performed well across different environments and was capable of continuous real-time monitoring. Conclusions: EcoDecibel presents a cost-effective and reliable solution for long-term environmental noise monitoring. The system is suitable for use in epidemiological studies investigating the relationship between noise exposure and public health outcomes.
ISSN:1574-9541