system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How is radiation "cleaned up" after a major nuclear disaster?

I know in disasters such as the ones at Chernobyl and Fukushima emergency workers are sent to the site, but what exactly is it they do, and what CAN they actually do in areas such as the vicinity of the reactor core?
gpt
There's not really a whole lot, chemically, that scientists can do. They have mechanical ways to clean up radiation (storing debris, collecting and disposing of highly contaminated soil). They also monitor ground water, and in the case of Fukushima, they monitor the levels of radioactivity found in ocean life. This tells us if it's safe to eat, and protects humans from some of the side effects of a nuclear disaster. 

Other than these simple methods, it's a waiting game. Some of the radioactive elements have a short life, while some with high half-lives and may take thousands or millions of years to decompose. It's why most nuclear facilities are highly regulated.