Abstract: OBJECTIVE The contents of fourteen trace elements were determined in traditional Chinese medicine of Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC. in different habitats by ICP-AES technology. METHODS HNO₃-HClO₄ mixed acid digestion system was employed to decompose the organic compounds efficiently. The 14 trace elements were determined by the absorption spectroscopy under certain working conditions. RESULTS The recoveries of the trace elements, were 90.01%-104.14% and RSD(0.84-2.31) were <3%. CONCLUSION The result showed that the contents of 14 trace elements were different in Zanthoxylum nitidum in different habitats, and the research provided valid information for study of the relationship between the trace elements and the bioactivities of Zanthoxylum nitidum.