Objective To explore the distribution of inorganic elements in different organs of Lilium brownii and to assess the health risks associated with its heavy metals.Methods The content of six heavy metals-copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and arsenic (As)-in the bulbs, stems, leaves, and flowers of Lilium brownii from different regions is measured using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Health risk assessment is conducted using the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and Carcinogenic Risk (CR) methods.Results The ICP-OES method shows good linearity, detection limits, precision, repeatability, and stability, with the recovery rate for the actual samples ranging from 98.25% to 105.81%. Significant differences in inorganic elements are found across the different organs of Lilium brownii. Notably, the bulbs, stems, leaves, and flowers exhibit varying degrees of Cr content exceeding the standard limit, with the order of content being stems > bulbs > leaves > flowers. Additionally, the Cd content in the leaves is above the standard. No health risks are found in the Lilium brownii samples from different regions, with no non-carcinogenic or carcinogenic risks to human health. However, the sum of the THQ values for the stems and leaves exceeds the THQ standard, suggesting the need for long-term attention to the health impact of harmful elements in these organs.Conclusion The methods establishes in this study can be used for the determination and risk assessment of Cu, Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, and As residues in Lilium brownii medicinal materials.