The Consumer Council on Monday said that some desk mats commonly used as table protectors contain chemicals that can affect fertility or growth.

Among 15 desk mats it tested, seven contained four plasticisers listed as reproductive toxicants exceeding a European Union limit.

In the worst example, plasticisers in a desk mat by Qivation surpassed the EU limit by 222 times.

The product has been referred to the Customs and Excise Department.

The council also revealed that nine desk mats contain three other plasticisers that can affect children's livers.

Although people are unlikely to absorb plasticisers through their skin, they are at risk if they have a cut, or put on sunscreen or oil-soluble moisturising products after touching the mats, the council said.

Gilly Wong, chief executive of the watchdog, urged the public not to use desk mats as place mats when they eat.

"Reason being is obviously the ingredients that they used [in desk mats] may not be at the food grade, so it's much better to segregate the usage," she said.

"When you select the product, you have to make it clear about the purpose of that product. So that you can make use of it, the function of it properly."

The public should also wash their hands immediately after using the desk mats in other circumstances, she said.

Wong also called on manufacturers to be careful about what ingredients they use in products.

"They have to choose those that can safeguard the health of consumers and manufacture it with a very high quality control in order to produce products that shouldn't have harmful substances for consumers," she said.