Schuylkill County Commissioners on Wednesday hired Air Care & Restoration Co. Inc. of Bethlehem, for $104,375 to test air quality and clean air ducts at the courthouse in Pottsville.

They also hired the company as a consultant at $150 an hour, with a $2,500 cap.Commissioners have listened to concerns of those who work in the courthouse about mold and other airborne substances they believe are contributing to illnesses.Air Care president Keith Roe has tested several offices and found no elevated levels of mold.Roe tested the courthouse air handling systems in the sheriff's, district attorney's, and clerk of courts offices after Clerk of Courts Maria T. Casey, Sheriff Joseph G. Groody, District Attorney Christine A. Holman and some of Casey's employees told commissioners they were concerned about the rates of illnesses in their offices.His test results found mold levels were "significantly" lower inside than outside.No toxic black mold was found, Roe said.Roe found eight locations where the radon level was above the 4.0 pCi/L (pico curies per liter) cap set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for homes.The federal General Services Administration recommends a level 25 pCi/L or below for public places.The levels in the courthouse range from 4.2 pCi/L to 9.3 pCi/L. Roe has recommended reducing the levels to 4.0 pCi/L.County commissioners on April 6 hired Air Care and Next Step Environmental Services, based in Barto, Berks County, for $57,850 to test for and remediate airborne pollutants such as mold, and radon.Next Step will handle the radon while Air Care focuses on mold.