Sensor drift and Predicted Calibration Intervals of Handheld Temperature and Relative Humidity Meters Under Residential Field-Use Conditions

Abstract

Handheld temperature and relative humidity (T/RH) meters are commonly used in residential indoor air surveys. Although popular, T/RH meters are prone to sensor drift and consequent loss of accuracy, and thus instrument manufacturers often recommend annual calibration and adjustment. Field-use conditions, however, have been shown to accelerate electronic sensor drift in outdoor applications, resulting in out-of-tolerance measurements in less than one year. In the study described in this article, sensor drift was evaluated under residential field use for 30 handheld T/RH meters to predict needed calibration intervals based on hierarchical linear modeling. Instruments were used in 43 home visits over a 93-day period and were calibrated (without adjustment) 49 times over the study period with a laboratory standard. Analysis of covariance showed significant drift among temperature sensors for all three instrument types (p < .0001) and among humidity sensors in two instruments. The authors’ study suggests calibration frequency should be based on instrument performance under specific sampling conditions rather than on predetermined time intervals. – See more at: http://www.neha.org/node/2581#sthash.xM1Y5TXO.dpuf

Citation Information

Johnston JD, Magnusson BM, Eggett D, Mumford K, Collingwood SC, and Bernhardt SA. 2014. Sensor drift and predicted calibration intervals of handheld temperature and relative humidity meters under residential field-use conditions. J Environ Health. Oct:77(3):22-28.