Liquid emulsion membranes (LEMs) were applied to the separation of lactic acid from an aqueous feed phase, and water transport (swelling) was investigated during the separation. Considering that as lactic acid was extracted into the internal stripping phase, osmotic pressure difference across the membrane was varied, the water transfer coefficient was evaluated. The water transfer coefficient was larger at higher carrier concentration and initial lactic acid concentration, which means that emulsion swelling can also be mediated by solute/carrier complexes although it is, in general, osmotically induced. The appropriate LEM formulation was given for separation and concentration of lactic acid. If both separation and concentration are desired, evidently emulsion swelling should be considered in conjunction with the transport rate of lactic acid. It was observed that the separated solute concentration in the internal phase was lowered due to swelling during the operation. Nevertheless, lactic acid could be concentrated in the internal phase more than 6 times in specific conditions, indicating that as the volume ratio of external phase to internal phase is increased, a still higher concentration in the internal phase can be obtained. The change in mean internal droplet size with swelling was measured at given intervals to understand the associated interfacial phenomenon. From this experiment it was proved that the amount of swelling cannot be quantitatively determined from the change of mean droplet size.