Impulse Peak Insertion Loss Testing of the Elvex(registered trademark) Quattro(trademark) EP-401 Reusable Earplug
Abstract
The impulse peak insertion loss (IPIL) is the standard measure of attenuation provided by hearing protection devices (HPDs) in response to an impulsive noise. This technical memorandum describes the IPIL testing conducted on the Elvex(registered trademark) Quattro(trademark) EP-401 Reusable Earplug (Quattro(trademark); Model: EP-401). Testing was done in accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard S12.42-2010. Rather than testing at the nominal test levels specified by ANSI S12.42-2010 (i.e., 130, 150, and 170 decibel peak (dBP, re: 20 Pa)), all samples were tested at the nominal levels of 160 and 170 dBP, as these higher levels are more representative of military occupation impulse noise exposures. A total of five samples were fitted to an acoustic test fixture two times each for a total of 10 trials per test level. No samples were rejected. The mean and standard deviation (SD) IPIL values for each nominal level were 36.8 (1.9) dB at 160 dBP and 36.9 (1.6) dB at 170 dBP. Calculated overall mean IPIL values exceeded the Quattro manufacturer reported noise reduction rating (NRR) for continuous noise (i.e., 27 dB).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 22, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1148402
Entities
People
- Alexa H. Kolias
- Derek W. Schwaller
- Jeremy S. Federman
- Natalie Silvia
- Stephanie J. Karch
Organizations
- Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory