SoundDBMeter.com publishes educational content and browser-based tools related to decibels, sound pressure, acoustic measurement, noise exposure and hearing awareness.
This page identifies the principal sources and technical standards used to guide our content. It is not an exhaustive bibliography for every page. Important figures, regulatory requirements and health-related recommendations should also be cited near the relevant claim on the page where they appear.
Listing a source does not mean that the organization has reviewed, approved or endorsed SoundDBMeter.com.
How We Select Sources
We aim to use the most authoritative and direct source appropriate to each claim.
Sources are evaluated according to:
- responsibility for the subject;
- relevance to the specific claim;
- publication or revision date;
- applicable country or jurisdiction;
- evidence quality;
- methodological transparency;
- whether a newer publication supersedes the source;
- whether readers can identify and access the original material.
For regulatory requirements, official recommendations and technical specifications, we prioritize the responsible institution’s original publication.
Reliable secondary sources may be used to explain context, compare evidence or make technical subjects easier to understand. They should not replace an available primary source when quoting an official limit, legal requirement, formula or standard.
A source should support the exact claim for which it is cited. We do not cite an organization merely to make a page appear more authoritative.
Occupational Noise and Exposure
OSHA Occupational Noise Exposure
Publisher: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Source type: Enforceable US federal workplace requirements for covered workplaces
These sources are used when discussing OSHA’s permissible exposure limit, action level, hearing-conservation requirements and related workplace obligations.
OSHA requirements apply within defined US occupational contexts. They should not be presented as universal public-health recommendations or automatically applied outside their legal jurisdiction.
NIOSH Occupational Noise Exposure
Publisher: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Source type: Research-based occupational recommendations
- NIOSH Noise and Occupational Hearing Loss
- Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Noise Exposure, Publication 98-126
- Understanding Noise Exposure Limits
These sources provide context for the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit, 3 dB exchange rate, occupational-noise dose and hearing-loss prevention.
NIOSH recommendations and OSHA requirements are not legally equivalent. SoundDBMeter.com aims to identify which framework is being discussed rather than combine them into a single “safe exposure” rule.
Environmental and Community Noise
WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines
Publisher: World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe
Source type: Public-health recommendations
The 2018 guidelines address defined environmental sources, including road, railway, aircraft, wind-turbine and leisure noise. They were developed for the WHO European Region, although they may offer useful evidence and public-health context elsewhere.
These recommendations should not be treated as local law or automatically applied to every home, classroom, nursery, office or neighborhood. Local regulations and the conditions covered by the original guideline must also be considered.
Hearing Health and Safe Listening
WHO Safe Listening Resources
Publisher: World Health Organization and International Telecommunication Union
Source type: Public-health and product-guidance resources
These resources inform general discussions about recreational sound exposure, personal listening devices and hearing-loss prevention.
They do not clinically validate the Online Hearing Test or convert an uncalibrated browser tool into a medical assessment.
NIDCD Hearing-Assessment Information
Publisher: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health
Source type: Government hearing-health information
- What the Numbers Mean: An Epidemiological Perspective on Hearing
- Who Can I Turn to for Help With My Hearing Loss?
NIDCD explains that formal audiometric testing is the recognized method for diagnosing hearing loss and that audiologists have specialized training to evaluate the type and degree of hearing loss.
These sources support the distinction between a general online screening experience and a professional hearing assessment.
Acoustic Measurement and Technical Standards
IEC 61672 Sound-Level Meter Standards
Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission
Source type: Technical standards
- IEC 61672-1:2013 — Sound Level Meters: Specifications
- IEC 61672-2:2013 — Pattern Evaluation Tests
- IEC 61672-3:2013 — Periodic Tests
The IEC 61672 series describes specifications and testing procedures for Class 1 and Class 2 sound-level meters.
These standards help explain why a consumer microphone and browser do not become a certified sound-level meter simply because the interface displays a dB value or allows an offset adjustment.
Some standards require purchase or licensed access. SoundDBMeter.com may identify and summarize relevant concepts but does not reproduce protected standards or claim formal conformity with them.
Browser Audio and Web Technology
Web Audio API
Publisher: World Wide Web Consortium
Source type: Web technical specification
The Web Audio API specification describes browser technologies used to process and synthesize audio, including audio nodes, analyzers and oscillators.
It supports technical explanations of features such as FFT-based frequency analysis and browser-generated tones. It does not establish that microphone samples represent calibrated acoustic pressure.
Media Capture and Streams
Publisher: World Wide Web Consortium
Source type: Web technical specification
This specification describes how web applications request access to local media devices, including microphones, through browser permission controls.
It is relevant to microphone selection, permission handling and live media streams. Details about how SoundDBMeter.com handles microphone access and website data are provided in the Privacy Policy.
How These Sources Are Used
Sources are used according to their scope.
For example:
- OSHA may support a statement about covered US workplace requirements;
- NIOSH may support a research-based occupational recommendation;
- WHO may support a defined public-health recommendation;
- IEC may define requirements for professional sound-level meters;
- W3C may define how a browser audio interface works;
- NIDCD may support the distinction between screening and clinical assessment.
A source from one category should not be used to imply authority in another. A browser specification does not validate hearing-safety advice, and an occupational-noise recommendation does not automatically establish a residential legal limit.
Our Editorial Guidelines explain how sources are selected and fact-checked. The Testing Methodology describes how technical concepts are applied to the site’s tools.
Independence and Non-Affiliation
SoundDBMeter.com is independently operated.
We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or officially connected to OSHA, NIOSH, CDC, WHO, NIDCD, NIH, IEC, W3C or another organization listed on this page.
Reference to an organization, publication or standard means only that the material has been used for research, context or verification.
Source Updates and Corrections
Guidance, standards, regulations and web documentation can change. We review sources when:
- an organization publishes a revision;
- a cited page is moved or removed;
- a publication is superseded;
- a source no longer supports the intended claim;
- a credible correction is reported;
- a related tool or article receives a material update.
A source’s inclusion does not guarantee that it is the newest authority for every jurisdiction or purpose. Readers making medical, legal, occupational or regulatory decisions should consult the applicable current authority or a qualified professional.
If you find an outdated link, superseded publication or citation that does not support the relevant claim, email contact@sounddbmeter.com or use the Contact page.
Last reviewed: August 21, 2026