Cold fusion: radon contribution to neutron production?

Experiments have been performed to determine whether alpha activity in magnitudes sufficient to produce the reported neutron yield in ''cold fusion'' investigations can result either from impurity contents or from the adsorption of environmental radon on the surfaces of the palladium electrodes used in these experiments. It is concluded that this is highly improbable. A cross section value of 210 mb has also been determined for the reaction α + 2H → α + n + p. (author)