A photolytic interface between high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and a chemiluminescence detector has been developed for the trace detection of non-volatile N-nitroso compounds in biological matrices. A chromatographic effluent containing separated N-nitrosoamino acids and N-nitrosamides is introduced into a glass coil with a purge stream of He and irradiated with ultraviolet light. Nitrogen oxide, cleaved by photolysis, is separated rapidly from the solvent through a series of cold traps and carried by the He into the reaction chamber of a chemiluminescence detector. The method is compatible with most types of HPLC, especially reversed-phase, and yields low-nanogram sensitivity for underivatised N-nitrosoamino acids and N-nitrosamides. The detection of a model N-nitrosamide, trimethylnitrosourea, in spiked porcine gastric fluid (42 micrograms l-1), and of N-nitrosoproline and N-nitroso-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, in spiked human urine (7-8 micrograms l-1), is demonstrated.