The reaction of the OH radicals with 4-hydroxy-2-butanone was investigated in the gas phase using an absolute rate method at room temperature and over the pressure range 10-330 Torr in He and air as diluent gases. The rate coefficients were measured using pulsed laser photolysis (PLP) of H2O2 to produce OH and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) to measure the OH temporal profile. An average value of (4.8 +/- 1.2) x 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) was obtained. The OH quantum yield following the 266 rim pulsed laser photolysis of 4-hydroxy-2-butanone was measured for the first time and found to be about 0.3%. The investigated kinetic study required accurate measurements of the 10, 0 vapor pressure of 4-hydroxy-2-butanone, which was measured using a static apparatus. The vapor pressure was found to range from 0.056 to 7.11 Torr between 254 and 323 K. This work provides the first absolute rate coefficients for the reaction of 4-hydroxy-2-butanone with OH and the first experimental saturated vapor pressures of the studied compound below 311 K. The obtained results are compared to those of the literature and the effects of the experimental conditions on the reactivity are examined. The calculated tropospheric lifetime obtained in this work suggests that once emitted into the atmosphere, 4H2B may contribute to the photochemical pollution in a local or regional scale.