The institute disclosed its conclusions in a series of scientific papers on radiation doses and cancer risks resulting from the Trinity Test, which marked a key point in the once-secret Manhattan Project.
Researchers say its impossible to know with certainty if New Mexicos cancer rates changed in the first decades after the test, given the lack of comprehensive data.
Government scientists never discounted the potential for fallout before moving ahead with the Trinity Test.
If you listen to the stories of downwinders, its clear that the Trinity Test unleashed a lifetime of illness and suffering for many New Mexico families, Lujn said Tuesday.
Dr. Steven Simon, a lead investigator with the National Cancer Institute, said during a briefing Tuesday that the research was aimed at estimating the range of possible radiation-related cancer cases in New Mexico linked to the Trinity Test.