A follow-up air quality test in the Warren County Courthouse found that no mold is traveling from an air handler unit to office areas. The latest test also showed that most of the mold problem appears to be on the outside of the building. The lone sample that tested positive inside the courthouse was located in the second-floor hallway where seven spores, an extremely low figure, were found. Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage said he was told by Jim North, of Professional Air Quality Services, Warrenton, the positive reading could have been brought in by a courthouse visitor. The only other positive examination was from an outside test where a total of 380 spores were found. Nearly all of the spores were identified as smut/myxomycetes, defined as a fungus or slime mold or a contaminant coming off automobiles or other outdoor sources. The results were received by the commissioners last week and presented to elected officials and employees last Thursday. "We don't have a mold problem," Engelage said. "I hope it puts (the employees') minds at ease. It makes us feel better." The other six samples that tested negative for a mold presence were taken in the northeast corner, northwest corner, judge and paralegal's office, jury room, Division 1 courtroom and Division 2 courtroom. North said the tests are conducted by sampling the air for a 10-minute period. Courthouse employees, primarily in the court clerk's office on the second floor, have been complaining about a possible mold presence for some time. Their concerns heightened once Sporiciden, a mold cleaner, was sprayed Jan. 15 in the building's ventilation system while they were present. They have complained of headaches, dizziness, fatigue and other ailments since. Employees said it seems like a mold smell increases when the HVAC unit kicks on. North said that is puzzling since the tests came back negative. "If you're drawing air in from another area, and now it's airborne, there is not much we can say because the proof says it's not," he said. "The crazy thing is, everybody is saying they are smelling it and . . . it's not there." The spore sample test followed an earlier one last month by West Kelley of Warrenton-based 7 Oaks Home Inspection. In that inspection, a mold identified as cladosporium was found in a rooftop HVAC unit and was suspected in three of the four units. Of five samples taken throughout the second floor between Feb. 16-22, mold was found in only one location, the air handler in the second-floor unit. As part of Kelley's report, he interviewed 11 employees Feb. 16 regarding their health issues. Of the 11, only one had no complaints about adverse health symptoms. "We are still having symptoms from something," Circuit Clerk Jerri Jordan said. Since an airborne contaminant has yet to be identified for causing the health symptoms, it was suggested the low relative humidity level in the courthouse could be the problem. The humidity level ranged from 10 to 15.5 percent when North conducted the test inside. He said that figure should be above 30 percent. North also was going to place an air purifier in the court clerk's office for around two weeks to see if that may help clear up some of the health issues. Gary Scott, of Schraer Heating and Cooling, Warrenton, met with the county commission last week and said the odor being smelled by the employees could be coming off the HVAC unit's coil. He said the smell could be triggered at any time the unit comes on, similar to when an automobile's HVAC is turned on for the first time. To eliminate the possibility of any mold or other fungus growing on the coil and other contaminants coming in from the outside, the commissioners are looking at installing ultraviolet lights in all four units that would kill any microorganisms. "You can smell stuff that you can't pick up from the air," Scott said. Other county employees continue to question why the entire courthouse facility wasn't tested for mold. Edie Ross, a clerk in the sheriff's department, complained of numerous water and sewage leaks over the years due to inmates clogging the toilets. The commissioners said the recent air quality issues have appeared to be isolated in the court clerk's office and other areas on the second floor and they felt those needed to be addressed first.  "I think we need to get some humidity in the building and use the (ultraviolet) lights," Engelage said. "I don't think we need to tear down the building. I don't know what else we can do." When asked how much the mold testing and efforts to remedy the situation are costing the county, Southern District Commissioner Hubie Kluesner estimated the figure could be as high as $15,000 to $20,000. Courthouse employees first complained of a mold presence in December 2008. At that time, a test showed the mold level to be 120 in the court clerk's office. No other office in the courthouse rated higher than 53. According to the report, a rating less than 150 is considered low and indicates a low probability of spores originating inside. A rating between 150 and 250 indicates a moderate likelihood of indoor fungal growth. The mold issue resurfaced following a Jan. 5 water leak from a HVAC unit located on the roof that led to the commissioners' decision to have the Sporiciden sprayed 10 days later. Employees questioned why the Sporiciden was sprayed without any advance warning. Several employees evacuated the courthouse due to the presence of an unfamiliar smell that left people "gasping for air." Later that afternoon, they were informed by Northern District Commissioner Dan Hampson that Sporiciden was sprayed in the ventilation system. Employees said the Sporiciden led to several side effects, including vomiting and diarrhea. While meeting with the commissioners Jan. 26, the court clerks demanded a written apology and wanted to know that any future health needs related to the exposure of mold or Sporiciden would be met by the county. In addition, the employees contacted the county's workers' compensation agency regarding the incident. The commissioners said it made sense to have the possibility of mold addressed rather than have a moisture test conducted that may have taken a couple of weeks to schedule.