It can be found in minute traces on packaging materials stored in the presence of fiberboard treated with 2,4,6-tribromophenol.
[3] Tribromoanisole is usually produced when naturally occurring airborne fungi or bacteria (usually Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Actinomycetes, Botrytis cinerea, Rhizobium sp., or Streptomyces) are presented with brominated phenolic compounds, which they then convert into bromoanisole derivatives.
The bromophenols can originate from various contaminants including those found in some pesticides and wood preservatives.
In 2010 and 2011, Johnson & Johnson voluntarily recalled some over-the-counter products, including Benadryl, Motrin, Rolaids, Simply Sleep, St. Joseph Aspirin, and Tylenol, due to an odor caused by tribromoanisole.
[6][7] In this case, a supplier had used 2,4,6-tribromophenol to treat wooden pallets on which product packaging materials were transported and stored.