An automatic method has been developed for the estimation of organic amino nitrogen (CH2-NH) and ammonium in water samples. We propose a continuous flow system in which nitrogen compounds react with hypochlorite reagent to produce chloramines. Subsequently, the mixture is mixed with luminol, generating a chemiluminescence signal. The signal emission at 425 nm, registered as a function of time, decreases as nitrogen concentration increases, due to the decrease on hypochlorite concentration. A large number of nitrogen compounds have been assayed and their sensitivities compared, in milligrams per liter nitrogen. The ammonium calibration graph, expressed as N, can be used for most of the assayed compounds. The linear interval was 0.24-4 mg L(-1) N, with the detection limit 0.07 mg L(-1) N. The chemiluminescence method was applied to the analysis of several kinds of real water samples, natural, lake, irrigation ditch, fountain, residual, and seawater in order to detect possible sources of eutrophication. The accuracy (% relative error) and precision were satisfactory, with mean values of 5 +/- 4 and 3 +/- 2, respectively. This procedure has been used to estimate nitrogen content in samples before and after Kjeldahl treatment. In the same samples, the N found for the untreated samples provided a good estimation of the N Kjeldahl. Sixty samples per hour can be analyzed, and the procedure can also be used for in situ monitoring.