Objective To analysed nutritious and harmful elements found in liquid milk marketed in different regions across China, analyzed the intake of elements from drinking milk, assessed exposure to elements and health risks in adults, and provided basis for relevant standards. Methods As many as 110 milk samples were collected in seven geographic regions across China. A total of 15 elements, Mg, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd and Pb, were determined with microwave digestion - inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to analyze regional differences. Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) and Adequate Intake (AI) were used to assess nutrition status while Margin of Exposure (MOE) and Provisional Tolerable Monthly Intake (PTMI) were used to assess health risks. Results The result showed that milk generally has high level of Ca (430-939 mg/kg). The levels of 9 elements, namely Fe, Cr, Co, Mn, V, Ni, Pb, As and Cd, varied geographically. The measured concentrations of As, Pb and Cr in liquid milk were all lower than the limits of the Chinese standards. According to the result of exposure assessment, the RNIs of Mg, Ca, Se and Mo were higher than 10%. The MOE of Pb was much higher than 1. The PTMI of Cd was lower than 0.1 μg/kg BW/month, and the MOE of Ni was much higher than 10. Conclusion Milk contains abundant nutritious elements and is an important supplementary to human nutrition. In addition, milk generally contains low levels of harmful elements, which poses low risk to human health.